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I have now reached the first 4 week milestone of my journey following the Porridge on Tuesday online eating plan and I have been by no means perfect. The odd glasses of wine have snuck in along with an icecream on a sunny day out and sometimes I just needed a something a little bit naughty! So we had pizza on a family night together.

What I am really pleased to say is that I have lost my first 7lb – yes half a stone!!! I can’t express how thrilled I am about this after the battles with food I’ve had over the last couple of years. I’m finally settling into a routine full of healthy meals and snacks that I thoroughly enjoy eating and are simple to prepare.

I love the flexibility of the Porridge on Tuesday meal plans as although it gives me seven different meals each week, I can have the same one on several nights if I want to use up ingredients or simply enjoy the food. This is great for me as I am often short on time or eating late. Unfortunately we don’t eat as a family very often as my children are starving by 5 o’clock and I don’t want to fill them up on snacks. My husband works shifts so is often not there in the evenings and then I don’t end up eating until the children are bathed and in bed. Although to be honest I kind of prefer eating later otherwise I’d resort to snacking late in the evening.

Snacking is something I’ve always done, sometimes I end up snacking and missing meals so one thing I’ve made myself consciously do is cook something every night. A quick pasta with pesto and spinach or courgettes is so quick and simple there’s no excuse. Or a new one I discovered last week was veggie sausages and sweet potato mash – add freshly ground black pepper and you have a delicious bowl of comforting food.

When it comes to snacks, I can still have two a day with Porridge on Tuesday but what I am eating is drastically different from before – no more pre-wrapped biscuits/cereal bars/chocolate bars. I have discoverd the perfect little snack bags of mixed almonds that contain the 30g suggested portion for a filling snack. Portion control is something else I have trouble with and having a controlled portion is just what I need. I also find these perfect to keep in my bag should I get caught out and about anywhere when the hunger pangs start, although I have to say these are become less the healthier I eat.

Houmous has always been a favourite of mine, usually with tortilla chips to dip in alongside a chilled glass of white wine. When I discovered houmous was on the menu it immediately caught my eye, but instead of tortilla chips, the options are carrot sticks or vegetable sticks. I am now a complete convert to coming home from work, chopping up a carrot and dipping it in houmous – absolutely delicious! And it definitely keeps me going through to dinner. Everytime my children hear me chopping, they run into the kitchen saying “Can I have some?”. They absoulutely love dipping their carrot sticks in houmous so I have discovered a healthy delicious snack that I wouldn’t have given them before. And the bizarre thing is that 5yr old Miss M doesn’t like carrots, has always refused to eat them, but now she quite happily chomps away on raw carrot sticks – a great way to add one of their five a day!

Breakfast is one meal I can’t miss and I’ve always grabbed some cereal or toast. Now I do still squeeze in a bowl of weetabix before I rush out the door, but on the days I don’t work and can spare a few minutes at home, I have come to love scrabbled eggs on toast. Before Porridge on Tuesday it is something I would only eat very occasionally but now I’m eating it 4 or 5 times a week. It’s totally delicious covered in ground black pepper and more importantly it really does fill me up and keep me going. I can honestly say I’ve eaten more eggs in the last four weeks than I have all year!

So as you can see I’m really getting into the spirit of my new healthy eating regime courtesy of Porridge on Tuesday. It really is inspiring me with tasty dishes to eat, I’m enjoying the menu’s, even if I do chop and change them around. Though I’m desperate to lose the weight that has crept on, I feel that the biggest motivation for me is writing about it, sharing my journey with you – I would hate to disappoint, let people down and most of all not succeed for myself. No more years of being unhappy in my clothes, tight waistlines, baggy tops – I want to feel free to wear what I want, not hide away and for my children to grow up seeing a happy, self confident mummy.

If you want to find out more about Porridge on Tuesday’s healthy eating plans then check out their website for lots of friendly advice and tips. They offer plans for everyone, be it gluten free, vegan, vegetarian like myself or just a simple healthy eating plan.